... I wouldn't be given APPLES!
I have already written about teachers being given apples when, once, a student asked me in class the reason why students used to offer their teachers that fruit. Two weeks ago, I was given an apple for the first in about eighteen years of teaching... Is this student an 'apple-polisher'? I am not a cynical, so, NO, definitely not!... Experience helps us to distinguish when a student is simply being nice to us, due to the relationship established in our classes, or when he is faking kindness... Anyway, as a result of this gesture, I decided to look up for more information on this matter, and I found some very interesting theories:
According to Ask.yahoo.com, "kids who really want good grades should consider giving their teachers Apple computers or iPods. If that's not possible, however, fruit remains a tasty option. Apples have a long history of greasing the wheels of education. Giving an apple to a teacher is also the origin for the term 'apple-polisher', which was first recorded in the late 1920s. Apple-polishers, also referred to as bootlickers or toadies (among other, even worse nicknames), aren't always favorably looked upon by other students. We suggest hanging onto the fruit, and using it to keep certain health professionals at bay."
Answers.yahoo.com says that "people used to have apple trees in their yards right near the kids' walking past on their way to school. They got ripe about the time school starts. Once, in 5th grade, one girl brought a big, shiny red apple. Others followed suit, and it became a little joke. We polished them up good so they would be nice and shiny. We got the biggest ones we could find. First red ones and then someone brought a yellow one, or a green. We had them lined up on the edge of her desk. The teacher thanked us and said she was going to start making pies with them. Kids liked to get on their teacher's good side and at the beginning of the year, kind of a little bribe."
I must admit that the answer I found the most interesting was the one that follows:
"Why are apples associated with teachers? People commonly see the fruit as a symbol of variety, change and growth. It symbolizes change and variety because it comes in different colors such as green, yellow and red. Additionally, the fruit has various tastes like sweet, sour as well as tangy. Moreover, apple symbolizes growth since the strongest branch and grove of the plant sprout from the seeds of the fruit. However, people should know that without love or support, the fruit could become undesirable and bitter. Educators serve as inspirations to students who want to enhance their understanding on different fields of studies. Teachers play important roles to the emotional, mental as well as physical growth of students. If educators do not receive support from other people like the parents of students and school administrators, there is a big chance that they will be unable to offer guidance to young people and children. Some people associate apples with teachers because of the special story in the Bible, which says that Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Even if apple is not stated or mentioned in the first book of the Old Testament, there are people who still believe that apple is the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Since teachers offer knowledge to students, individuals associate apple with them."
In, WhyGuides.com (abridged and adapted)
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